Will the 2016 GOP be as big of a clowncar as 2012? Less? More

[Dazey]

What do you guys think?

[WVdemocrat]

In terms of size, it'll outdo 2012 by far. In terms of ratio of nutjob whackos to total candidates, it'll be less. There's more serious candidates this time around, whereas in 2012, it was pretty much just Romney (out of the people who made it past NH). In 2016, the establishment candidate's biggest roadblock won't be some religious PA senator in sweater vest.

[Pyro]

Bigger clowncar, indeed. Less funny clowns this time and more scary ones.

[bobloblaw]

Less,

There was no one really qualified in 2012 besides Romney and perhaps Perry. In 2016, there are numerous serious qualified candidates.


The clown car is the Dem side.

A corrupt old hag
A scandanavian socialist wannabe
a failed mayor and governor of MD
a scots-irish neoconfedrate

[Lincoln Republican]

What do you guys think?

I think you're a Dem hack.

[Sumner 1868]

What do you guys think?

I think you're a Dem hack.

You clearly haven't read his posts on Rockefeller Republicans, then.

[Abraham Reagan]

The people who say more are kidding themselves. The top tier of candidates are very strong contenders all with viable paths to the nomination. The type of people who would've been considered serious in 2012, are now either 2nd tier or bottom tier candidates in 2016. So while yes, there may be some crazies. they're not leading the pack this time.

[CapoteMonster]

The people who say more are kidding themselves. The top tier of candidates are very strong contenders all with viable paths to the nomination. The type of people who would've been considered serious in 2012, are now either 2nd tier or bottom tier candidates in 2016. So while yes, there may be some crazies. they're not leading the pack this time.

Exactly, the GOP had a literal comic routine known as Herman Cain vault himself to top of the polls at one point.

[Lincoln Republican]

What do you guys think?

I think you're a Dem hack.

You clearly haven't read his posts on Rockefeller Republicans, then.

I do not believe referring to the Republican field as a "clowncar" is exactly constructive or objective.

[Dazey]

What do you guys think?

I think you're a Dem hack.

You clearly haven't read his posts on Rockefeller Republicans, then.

I do not believe referring to the Republican field as a "clowncar" is exactly constructive or objective.

As long as the Tea Party has a strong presence in the GOP field, it will be a clowncar.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Exactly, the GOP had a literal comic routine known as Herman Cain vault himself to top of the polls at one point.

Not to mention Newt Gingrich 15 years past his prime, Michelle Eichmann, and Santorum.

The big field will still turn up late night material, but the tiered candidate groupings should minimize the harm. Lindsey Graham saying something stupid generally is not the same as Lindsey Graham saying something stupid while standing on stage next to the actual Republican nominee.

[Nyvin]

Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and maybe Rubio have all already done clowny things.    I'm voting more.

[IceSpear]

Less,

There was no one really qualified in 2012 besides Romney and perhaps Perry. In 2016, there are numerous serious qualified candidates.


The clown car is the Dem side.

A corrupt old hag
A scandanavian socialist wannabe
a failed mayor and governor of MD
a scots-irish neoconfedrate

I don't think you realize what a clown car is.

[Mr. Morden]

Does "clown car" encompass folks like Jim Gilmore--candidates with fairly conventional Republican views, but who are embarrassing themselves simply by being in the race at all, simply because they're at 0% in the polls, and have no real prospect of ever reaching 1%?

[TomC]

More car, less clown (percentage wise)

[Lincoln Republican]

What do you guys think?

I think you're a Dem hack.

You clearly haven't read his posts on Rockefeller Republicans, then.

I do not believe referring to the Republican field as a "clowncar" is exactly constructive or objective.

As long as the Tea Party has a strong presence in the GOP field, it will be a clowncar.

Well, I have to admit, and I have said on several occasions, that the Republicans must not allow themselves to be driven by the Tea Party.

[Bull Moose Base]

Twice as many in the car and don't dismiss the quality of clown. Have lost Gingrich, Bachmann and Cain, but gaining serious clowns Carson, Huckabee, Cruz and maybe Trump. Plus there are definitely sleeper clowns in the field whose silliness is not yet recognized.

[Nyvin]

It's not a clown car....it's a Republican Hunger Games

[The Other Castro]

It's not a clown car....it's a Republican Hunger Games

I ran a simulation with all the candidates, this was the best section:

"Hillary Clinton dies of dysentery.

Rick Perry severely slices Ted Cruz with a sword."

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Less, the 2016 field is much stronger than 2012, most viable candidates in 2012 didn't want to run against Obama knowing it would be hard, leaving a flip flopper who is more liberal at his core than he pretends not to be, a failed speaker, a senator who lost in the biggest electoral defeat in modern history a CEO of a pizza joint, Mr. "oops" etc. I think we'll see a more sane race this go around (minus Cruz and Santorum)

[Fuzzy Bear]

Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and maybe Rubio have all already done clowny things.    I'm voting more.

Of all of these guys, only Trump is a clown.  Even Ted Cruz, who represents the extreme Tea Party sect of Republicans, is not all that out there, in comparison to Michelle Bachmann and Herman Cain, and none of these guys are retreads like Rick Santorum (who lost big in his last campaign) and Newt Gingrich (who was run out of his Speakership on a rail).

What looks like the Clown Car is the Congressional Republicans, and especially the House Republicans.  The middle-of-the-road voters who are legitimately undecided are few, but they are critical and they don't look kindly on Government Shutdowns.  The Nutty Base of the GOP doesn't get that.  It's why they lost the 2012 election; a race they should have won.

[Frodo]

No, because the GOP has more serious and formidable candidates (whatever their recent missteps) this time around.  And with more set to declare their candidacies this summer, there are quite a few who -should they survive the primaries more or less intact- could give Hillary Clinton one hell of a fight.

[Maxwell]

In terms of size, it'll outdo 2012 by far. In terms of ratio of nutjob whackos to total candidates, it'll be less. There's more serious candidates this time around, whereas in 2012, it was pretty much just Romney (out of the people who made it past NH). In 2016, the establishment candidate's biggest roadblock won't be some religious PA senator in sweater vest.

[Beet]

Yeah, last time Romney was pretty much the only candidate who came with a complete set of accessories. This time there will be several.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

No, because the GOP has more serious and formidable candidates (whatever their recent missteps) this time around.  And with more set to declare their candidacies this summer, there are quite a few who -should they survive the primaries more or less intact- could give Hillary Clinton one hell of a fight.

Most of the "serious and formidable" candidates are busy putting on their clown makeup and practicing walking in funny shoes. None of them are getting out of the primaries intact, and if they did then the right wingnuts would bolt the party and support a third party clown.

The GOP's only hope is that Clinton crashes and burns, hard.